Chapter 1591 — Class Reunion

"It's like this..." Zhu Lingtou was also a diehard loyalist of the hidden Zhao family. Having heard that the Zhao family's old master and Elder Bi had both given their word, he naturally understood they must hold back for now. But Zhu Lingtou still had some questions: "Then Young Master Bing, the purpose of your calling me here this time is...?"

"Revenge — that's certain, but not right now!" Zhao Qibing gritted his teeth. "That bastard Wei Zhao, I'll kill him sooner or later! But the priority right now is to find a way to treat Uncle Zhu's injuries and help him recover as quickly as possible. Even if he can't cultivate anymore, at least his life must be saved! He's my Zhao Qibing's man — even if he's a cripple, I, Zhao Qibing, will still keep him!"

"Young Master Bing is truly a wise and merciful master! What have we brothers of the Zhu family done to deserve such favor from you? Rest assured, Young Master Bing — I, Zhu Lingtou, will never let you down!" Zhu Lingtou was immediately overcome with emotion. Although he felt there was a performative element to what the Young Master was doing — after all, keeping a cripple didn't cost much — this kind of genuine loyalty still moved him!

"Secondly, we can't act openly right now, but we can plan things out, see if there's a way to strike in secret! We'll have to consult my master on this matter!" Zhao Qibing said. "Zhu Lingtou, you're a trump card — you can't be played recklessly! Right now, only Grandfather and Master know that you've broken through to the Earth-tier. Zhao Qitan and the others shouldn't know yet. So as my secret weapon in the struggle for the patriarch's seat, you mustn't show yourself too early!"

"I understand!" Zhu Lingtou nodded quickly and replied.

"I called you here to also urge you not to be too rash — we must be careful and cautious right now!" Zhao Qibing said. "Until Grandfather comes out of seclusion, staying steady is the top priority."

"Rest assured, Young Master Bing — I will not be reckless. I'll keep the bigger picture in mind and won't act on my own without authorization," Zhu Lingtou said.

"Good!" Zhao Qibing said. "I've already sent word to Master — he'll probably learn about this news very soon."

When Zhao Qibing sent the message to the Zhao family, he heard that Elder Bi was visiting Old Master Zhao and naturally had no time to take the call. After the visit ended, he would contact Zhao Qibing.

Just as they were talking, Elder Bi's call came in.

"Qibing, what do you need me for?" On the other end, Elder Bi had just finished visiting Old Master Zhao. Upon hearing that Zhao Qibing was looking for him, he called back promptly.

"Master, something major has happened over here..." Zhao Qibing recounted everything that had happened in full detail, including his instructions and analysis regarding Zhu Lingtou.

"Qibing, you've done very well!" Elder Bi said approvingly. "One who achieves great things must be able to endure momentary rage. Sometimes, compromise doesn't mean defeat — it means wisdom!"

"Yes, Master. I'll keep your words in mind. Until Grandfather comes out of seclusion, I must keep a low profile," Zhao Qibing said. "In your view, Master, what should we do at present?"

"Old Second Zhu's situation — I'll see what I can do, but with injuries this severe, I'm afraid even I may be powerless to reverse it. Let's just take a look first and see! While I can't promise to cure him, saving his life should still be no problem. Have Zhu Lingtou bring him to me for examination," Elder Bi said. "As for dealing with Wei Zhao — there's no rush. We'll discuss that after your grandfather emerges from seclusion! The old family head has broken through to the Heaven-tier, which gives him some standing at the Family Arbitration Council — he could even become one of its elders. From what I've heard, the Family Arbitration Council isn't of one mind these days either. After that person left, the elder positions on the Council have over the years been occupied by Heaven-tier experts from various hidden families. Initially, everyone still acted for the common good, but now — heh heh — that person has disappeared. Who would still abide by the rules of the old days? From what I've heard, some people are already itching to amend the rules of the Arbitration Council!"

"Oh? So you're saying that in the future, hidden family experts appearing in the secular world won't be restricted?" Zhao Qibing asked hastily.

"I wouldn't say there are no restrictions at all, but turning a blind eye — that can probably be managed," Elder Bi said. "Of course, I've only heard the general outline; I don't have any confirmed conclusion yet. Although the Family Arbitration Council isn't of one mind, there are still those who oppose such changes."

"I see. Then I won't rush either," Zhao Qibing nodded.

"Also, Qitan has returned — you need to be careful. I'll help heal your leg injury, but the gap between you and Qitan is considerable. Apart from your great contributions to the Zhao family, you don't have many other advantages over Qitan. So you mustn't slack off in your cultivation!" Elder Bi said.

"Don't worry, Master — I'll certainly work hard." Zhao Qibing wasn't just humoring him; he genuinely meant it. For the sake of that patriarch's position, he had already made up his mind to give it everything he had.

Originally, Wei Zhao had expected the hidden Zhao family to react in some way — at the very least, they would send an Earth-tier expert to cause trouble! But after two days of waiting, nothing happened, and Wei Zhao was immediately somewhat disappointed.

To be honest, Wei Zhao was now willing to use every possible means to break through! He even longed for a battle with an Earth-tier expert, hoping to use it to motivate himself to break through and level up! The current Wei Zhao was no longer the Wei Zhao from the ancient tomb — back then, he had been at the peak of the mid-stage Mystic-tier, whereas now he had advanced to the late-stage Mystic-tier!

The Earth-tier was only two steps away. If Wei Zhao gave it his all, he actually had a fighting chance. Moreover, what Wei Zhao wanted was exactly that effect of breaking through at the limit! But the hidden Zhao family was like a turtle tucking in its head — they had gone completely silent, which left Wei Zhao thoroughly vexed.

Before he knew it, the day of the class reunion had arrived. Having waited in vain for the Zhao family's experts, Wei Zhao had no choice but to take Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu to a resort for some relaxation.

The resort was located in a small town near Songshan City. The scenery there was quite nice, though mostly man-made. But for these students, none of that mattered — they had come to eat, drink, and have fun, not to admire the views!

Having graduated from high school, many students had become more mature and pragmatic. Those who had gotten into prestigious universities were naturally quite proud, but those who hadn't made it into college were seizing this opportunity to build connections with a few rich second-generation heirs whose families owned businesses in the class — hoping to leverage their classmate relationship to land a good job!